Pulled Pork Tamales with Southwestern Béarnaise Sauce

~Chef Perry Perkins~

This started out as my go-to recipe for using up leftover pulled pork (on the rare occasions that I had leftover pulled pork) Now, it’s become so popular with friends and family, that I smoke bone-in pork shoulder the day before in my La Caja China #3 (using apple wood in my A-Maze- N Smoker) just to make this recipe.

You'll need:

4 C MaSeCa Instant Corn Masa Mix
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 C corn oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 package of corn husks
2 cups pulled pork, room temp

In a large bowl, slowly add 1 ½ cups of hot stock, in a thin stream, to the masa harina. Beat at low speed until the dough forms. Increase speed to medium-low speed until the dough cools, 5 minutes or so.

Add shortening, by the tablespoon, mixing well. Mix in the baking powder and salt. Scrape the dough into a large bowl.

Arrange the corn husks on a large work surface. Scoop about 1/8 cup of the tamale filling into the center of each, top with an equal amount of pulled pork, and fold the ends of the husks over the filling. 

Roll the husks up to completely enclose the filling.

Place the tamales, seam-side down, in a large steamer basket, and steam until the filling is firm, about 20
minutes. Serve the tamales piping hot, with béarnaise sauce and yellow sriracha.

Southwestern Béarnaise Sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 egg yolks
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp dry rub
1 sm can diced green chilies

In a small saucepan, combine the tarragon, shallots, vinegar and wine over medium-high heat.

Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove this reduction from heat and set aside to cool.

Blend yolks and béarnaise reduction together. With the blender running, add 1/3 of the butter in a slow steady
stream.

Once it emulsifies, turn the blender speed up to high and add the remaining butter.

Season with dry rub, fold in the green chilies, and set aside in a warm spot until ready to spoon over the finished
(and peeled) tamales.

Yellow Sriracha Sauce

Sriracha is the name for a Thai hot sauce named after the coastal city of SiRacha, in the Chonburi Province of central Thailand, where it was first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants.

It is a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Sriracha is a common condiment in many Asian restaurants and increasingly found in American and European homes.

3 1/2 cups yellow bell
1/2 cup chopped hot yellow peppers
10 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 Tbs light brown sugar

Chop the chilies and place in a bowl. Add garlic, salt & vinegar. Cover and let set on the counter overnight or 8 hours.

In the morning, remove peppers & garlic from bowl and place in saucepan. Add 1 cup of the vinegar mixture,
1/2 cup of water and the 2 Tbs of sugar.

You can add more vinegar if you want it more tart and a thin sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 min.
Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Puree until smooth.

Chef Perry P. Perkins comes from a long line of professional cooks. As a third generation chef, he focuses his love of cooking on barbeque, traditional southern fare, and fresh Northwest cuisine. Perry runs a non-profit organization. MY KITCHEN Outreach Program, which teaches nutrition, shopping, and hands on cooking classes or at risk youth.

His cookbooks include La Caja China Cooking, La Caja China World, La Caja China Party, and La Caja China Grill.